20 Days
by November Lynneus Oradot
Summary: With 20 days left 'til the first day of autumn, Hades and Persephone keep in touch through messengers, gifts, and a countdown. Takes place in The REAL Cosmic Couple universe; rated K plus. If you read it, review it!
1. 20

_**This**_** Persephone and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

_20 Days_

**20**_  
_

"Maci. C'mere, do me a favor...?"

"What's in it for me?"

"You get the satisfaction of helping your parents out. Now shut up and c'mere."

* * *

"You're absolutely ridiculous. Packing now? You've got weeks until you have to leave."

"I'm getting a head-start on things so I can get out of here as soon as possible on the first day of autumn," Persephone replied to her mother, shooting her a look.

Demeter frowned as she watched her daughter throw chitons and robes and et cetera into her suitcases. "Must you bring everything you own with you?"

"What, do you expect me to go out and buy new stuff every equinox? I'm gonna be gone for six freaking months."

Demeter rolled her eyes. "But, still-"

A knock on the door cut off Demeter's words.

Persephone rose from her spot on the floor - she had been kneeling - and went to go see who would dare disturb her when she was only a few weeks away from coming home and in her happy state.

"Ciao, mom," said Macaria, leaning in the door frame with a scroll in her left hand.

Demeter, behind Persephone, disappeared in a poof of green.

Macaria gave the now nonexistent goddess a dirty look and strode into her mother's home.

Persephone grinned. "Oh, so now you come visit me? I'm coming back in a few weeks."

"I'm here on business," replied Macaria with a grin of her own, and she waved the scroll in her hand at Persephone, "Message from dad."

She took the scroll from her hands and unrolled it curiously, blinking and then smiling when she saw the two words scribbled in its center:

_20 days_

Persephone hugged the scroll to her chest, ignoring Macaria, who was making a big show of rolling her eyes and gagging, and staring absentmindedly out the window instead. After a moment, she looked to Maci and spoke, "So if I write something to him tommorow will you bring it for me?"

Macaria looked at her flatly. "Uh, no. I'm already real thrilled about being daddy's little messenger girl, 'kay, I don't need to become mommy's messenger girl, too. Get one of your nymphs to do it."

"They don't like going to the Underworld, though."

"Tough for them. You're in charge of them, make them go." She said it matter-of-factly, like this should have been obvious.

Persephone rolled her eyes. "When some dryad shows up at the Underworld tommorow, try to keep her from getting mauled, mkay?"

"What's in it for me?" Macaria said, leaning up against the wall with her arms folded and her eyebrows raised.

"The satisfaction of helping your parents out."

Macaria blinked. Heh. Deja vu. "Hm...okay, fine. Whatever."

"Thanks a ton."

Maci shrugged then cast a regretful smirk at her mother. "I'd love to stay and chat and all, but I have to go. I've got people waiting for me."

"People?" echoed Persephone.

"Yes. Intelligent two legged things that talk. People."

'You're hilarious."

"I try," Macaria shrugged and grinned, "Okay, now, seriously, I have to go. Seeya soon, okay?" Before Persephone could respond, she had vanished, leaving only a disappating cloud of smoke and a faint burnt smell behind.

Persephone, after another second of wistful smiling, set the scroll from Hades on her bed and resumed packing.

* * *

~Author's Notes~ I wrote all of this last year to celebrate the first day of fall. (yes, I know it's a day early... SHUSH). I would've posted it sooner but I had to wait til the time was appropriate. :)


	2. 19

_**This**_** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

_20 Days_

**19**_  
_

"But...the Underworld is so..."

"Please?"

"But I..."

"Nothing'll happen. I made sure of that yesterday. Now go give this to Hades..."

_

* * *

Paperwork, ugh. Kill me now, someone. Pretty please?_ was Hades' sarcastic thought as he sat hunched over the (black) desk in his office, scribbling on papyrus, endless piles of papyrus.

It took almost every ounce of willpower not to burn all these stupid little papers (so to speak) and just leave the gods-damned room. But, hey, the work needed to be done, right?

Hades couldn't help jealously thinking that up on Olympus all those gods were lounging around absentmindedly making war and love and wine and et cetera...

And here he was, doing paperwork, stuffed up in what was basically a giant hellhole..

"And they wonder why I try to take over Olympus," Hades muttered, throwing his quill in the corner and leaning back, orange and flaming mad.

"I don't mean to interrupt your conversation with yourself, Your Flamefulness, but someone's here to see you."

Hades turned with a scowl towards Panic, twisting his tail nervously in the doorway.

"Well," he snapped "Send 'im in, my gods, I don't have all freaking day!"

Panic nodded nervously, turned and ran out the door. After a moment, Hades' guest entered.

"...the hell?" Hades said, blinking.

The nymph standing in the doorway shrunk back as he spoke, one (violet tinted) hand clinging to a scroll, the other hand clutching the hem of her (purple) dress. The nymph stared up at Hades with terrified lavender eyes.

"So what would a nymph be doing in the Underworld?" Hades wondered dryly aloud, one finger tapping slowly and cynically (if that was possible) against his chin.

Said nymph took a step towards him, a step back, like she had reconsidered, then went fowards again, practically shaking. She held out the scroll to Hades, her hand trembling.

"It's f...from Lady Persephone."

"Figures," said Hades, swiping the scroll out of her hands and unrolling it in one motion. The nymph quickly stepped back and pressed herself against the wall.

_19 days_

Hades grinned, and set the scroll on his desk, turning to the nymph as an afterthought.

"You can go now," he said, waving his hand for her to leave.

She nodded (grateful), and darted out of the room.

Hades grinned at the scroll again, then went back to filling out his paperwork.

He'd have something better for Seph tommorow.


	3. 18

_**This**_** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

_20 Days_

**1_8_**_  
_

"Are you _kidding_ with this?"

"_No_, I'm not, for the fifteenth time, thank you. Now do ya get it, or do you need me to go over it again-"

"I got it. Ugh, you're out of your mind, ya know that?"

"I'm well aware. Now go scurry off and do what I showed you for your mom..."

"What_ever_."

* * *

"How do you live there for half the year?" questioned the purple-obsessed nymph who had been sent to the Underworld the day before. She was lying on her stomach on Persephone's bed; the goddess of spring was much more civil to her workers then Hades was.

"I manage, Ianthe" Persephone answered, also lying on her stomach, but for a different reason-a pomegranate had rolled under her bed, and she was on the floor, trying to get it out.

"But it's so...big...and...and...scary...aand Hades is so...creepy...and...mean...and...old...and-"

"-and my husband," Persephone interrupted, her arm up to her shoulder on the bed.

Ianthe blushed dark purple. "I...I know, Seph, but I'm just saying, how do you-"

"You get used to it. And to him." Her hand closed around the fruit and she pulled it out from underneath her bed, brushing off dust and then chucking it into a garbage pail. She smiled up at her companion-they had been together since before Hades had kidnapped her, of course then Ianthe had been a little toddler, who talked with a bit of an accent. Now she was an adult, or close to it anyway. Nymphs grew slowly.

Persephone stood up and as she was doing so, a knock came from the door.

Persephone whirled around. In a few strides she had reached the door.

Macaria scowled at her mother as the door swung open.

"You look happy," remarked Persephone with a smirk, folding her arms.

"Hah hah. You're _so_ funny," said Macaria bitterly, making a face at Persephone.

"Hm. So do you have anything for me?" She smirked.

"Yes," she spat the word out like it tasted bad, "Dad spent _all freaking morning_ teaching this to me. He's gone out of his mind, I swear."

Persephone hid a grin as Macaria thought for a second, then twisted her wrists around in a complicated gesture.

Persephone's lips parted in a tiny 'o' as she stared at Hades' present for her:

A flaming '18' was flickering between Macaria's hands, the flames blue.

Persephone smiled, clasping her hands together in pleasure as the image in fire shimmered and vanished between Macaria's hands. "So sweet."

Ianthe, looking on, raised a skeptical eyebrow. 'Weird' was more like it.

Macaria apparently thought the same thing. "Your husband," she said, furiously, coming close to flaring, "is out of his mind. He _literally_ spent all morning teaching this to me."

"Well, _I_ think it's sweet," purred Persephone.

"Whatever. To each his-_her_-own and whatnot." She jabbed a finger downwards, speaking now to Hades (and also to Seph), "Next time, I'm making him pay me for coming up here."

"Real nice, Maci."

"Well, I don't like being forced to run...errands for him. Excuuuuse me." Macaria placed a hand on her chest dramatically. "I have a _life_, ya know."

"But you live in the Underworld," Ianthe couldn't help pointing out.

Macaria glared at her and was about to snap something, but Persephone put her hands on ehr shoulders and steered her out the door, instructing, "Maci, please, let's not murder my nymphs, thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Macaria.

"Tell Hades I said thank you and to expect something from me tommorow...okay?"

Macaria shrugged, hands on her hips. "Fine. But don't make me conjure some sort of...flowery thing for him, okay? I've learned enough for the time being."

She vanished, leaving Persephone to her thoughts about what to do for him tomorrow...


	4. 17

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**17**

"Okay, don't crush the petals. Don't bend the stem. Be very, very, careful, okay?"

"Okay."

"And make sure he sees the design, okay?"

"Okay."

"And make sure he understands the design."

"Got it."

* * *

He forced the quill to write a few more symbols on the papyrus and then threw it down on the desk in exasperation, his hands massaging his temples.

"Explain to me why there's so much paperwork to be done all of a sudden," Hades flatly demanded of his imps, "I mean, it's Saturday. Can't I catch a break even then?"

Pain shrugged as Panic tilted his head and tried to come up with an answer. "I think its just 'cuz...with Persephone leaving...er, coming back...Demeter just gets..."

"Pissy," said Hades, scowling at the stack of papyrus on his desk.

"Er..." said Panic.

"Right," said Pain, picking up where Panic left off, "Maybe she just starts killing mortals with famine to give you more paperwork to, like, bug ya, ya know?"

He slumped in his seat, flaming orange.

"That's my big sis for ya," he said sarcastically, "I just love her to bits. Oy vey..."

"Uh, excuse me?"

Hades turned his angry gaze to the slender figure in the doorway. It was the same nymph from yesterday, he recalled vaguely, The purple girl.

"Ciao, babe," he said, being hospitable enough to give her a fanged smirk (she shivered), "Ya got something for me?"

"From Persephone," said Ianthe, trembling involuntarily again, "Y-yes."

Pain and Panic disappeared in puffs of smoke, knowing they'd get zapped for intruding on his 'personal life' if they stayed much longer.

He paid no attention to the pair and focused instead on his wife's nymph. After a second of silence, he slowly asked her in a poisonous tone, "Well...can I have it?"

She paled. "Oh! Yes. Yes, o-of course. M-my apologies, sir..."

Ianthe scrambled over to him desperately, taking her hand out from behind her back and holding out a flower to Hades, which he took hesistantly.

I'm giving flowers to the Lord of the Dead, Ianthe thought, wincing inwardly, Oo, if my friends found out...

Hades tilted his head at Persephone's present. The little thing was black, right down to the stem and leaves. On four of the petals, random designs were imprinted in bright blue.

"Lovely," he remarked with a sarcastic smirk, "Heh, I went to all this trouble yesterday teaching my brat of a daughter this whole complicated trick-thing for Seph and her reply present is..." He gestured with his other hand towards the flower, smirk still present on his face, "a...a daisy. Not that I don't appreciate it...and she broke the whole numbers theme, too-"

Ianthe allowed herself a giggle, cutting Hades off, who turned and shot an annoyed glare at her (no-one was supposed to interrupt his ranting). He would have zapped her, but she stood on her toes and pointed with a thin violet finger to the flower petals.

"She told me to tell you to look carefully at the design on the petals."

Hades raised an eyebrow, not liking being issued orders from a nymph, but he obeyed and studied the random designs on the flower petals.

All of a sudden his eyes widened in realization.

Two petals spelled, elegantly, '17.' The remaining petals were dainty little hearts.

Hades' smirk became suddenly much more sincere.

"Creative," he remarked, his eyes lighting up as he stared at his wife's return gift.

After a moment, he waved his hand at the door, still focused on the flower. "Mkay, babe, you can scurry off and...do whatever it is nymphs do."

Ianthe nodded, and ran out again.

For the second time, Hades began to think about what he could do for her tomorrow. 'Least on Sunday he'd have so much less work to do...


	5. 16

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**16**

"So, do any of you yutzes know how to draw? You?...yes, you, the one with the horns...okay, great, now get the hell over here. Maci, standby, I'm gonna need ya when this guy's done."

"Yay."

* * *

"Seph, I think I'm getting used to the Underworld," Ianthe said, her chin in her hands as she lay on her stomach on Persephone's bed.

"You've only been there twice," Persephone looked up from her suitcase and grinned at her.

"I know. But it's suddenly...less scary, and I'm not panicking at the thought of going there tommorow."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is! I'm not supposed to get used to the Underworld. I'm a nymph! I need...Earth and flowers and sunlight and rivers and all sorts of happy things, not the depressing-ness that the Underworld is."

Persphone looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Ianthe shot her an apologetic look. "I know it's your home and all, but it's not supposed to be my thing."

Persephone shrugged. "Hey, if it only took you two days to get used to it, then it's definately your thing. It took me, like, two months to get used to the Underworld."

"Yeesh," said Ianthe.

Persephone rose from the floor and went over to her dresser, where there was a little black box. She opened the box with a mere wave of her hand and removed it's contents - a little black skull-shaped ring.

"What's that?" Ianthe tilted her head.

"My wedding ring," Persephone answered simply, tucking the ring into a pocket of her suitcase, "You know my mother doesn't let me wear it during spring and summer."

"She's such a pleasure," commented Macaria, appearing in the middle of the room in a curl of smoke.

Persephone gave her daughter a dry smirk. "Don't I know it. You're looking at the goddess who spent

hundreds of years with her, okay, I know how pleasant she is." She grimaced.

Maci hid a shudder. "I'm so lucky I have parents who don't give a damn," she muttered, then focused back on Persephone, "So. I have somethin for ya."

"I figured as much." She grinned. "16 days, huh? My how time flies..."

Macaria held out a pair of scrolls.

She took both, unrolled one and set the other on her bed so that she could look at the first one.

Her mouth fell open.

The scroll was a picture of her. It looked just like her, too, almost like you could...reach out and connect with real skin, if, however, the picture wasn't in charcoal and black and white. In her picture-image's hand was a small scroll which was unrolled to reveal the printed words, '16 DAYS'.

Persephone smiled, set the scroll down, and unrolled the other. This one was just words, written by Hades himself:

_Drawn by...by some monster guy in the Underworld, I dunno. You know I have zero artistic ability, so all credits go to...that guy. Whoever the hell he is._

_Happy 16th day mark..._

"Well, I know what I'm giving him tommorow," Persephone said aloud, "Ianthe, do any of the nymphs know how to draw?"

"Isn't that copying?" Macaria said, with a smirk.

Persephone gave her a look, but she too was smirking. "Whatever. So let him complain of unoriginality. See if I care."

Macaria shrugged, muttering under her breath, "Fine, he's your husband..."

"I thought you said you were gonna make him pay you," said Ianthe.

Maci rolled her eyes. "He refused. Said just because he was the god of wealth it didn't mean he had unlimited riches."

"He does," said Persephone.

"Oh, I know. It was just an excuse. He just likes forcing teenagers to become messenger slaves." She gave Hades a dirty look, her eyes focused on the ground.

Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, I have to go. I'll see you...the day after tommorow. Maybe. If he starts paying me." Maci waved and then poofed away.

"She's a real pleasure, too," Ianthe said.

Persephone looked at her.

Ianthe grinned and shrugged.

The goddess of spring/Queen of the Underworld picked up both scrolls and set them on top of a table in the kitchen, along with the other scroll he had given her.

Now to just find a nymph who could draw...


	6. 15

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe, Admete and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**15**

"Thank you _so_ much for this, Admete...Ianthe...you know what to-"

"I know."

"Okay, great. Bring this to Hades, please?"

"Sure thing."

* * *

Monday. Ugh.

He had had his moments of peace yesterday. Moments of peace in between the constant pestering of Pain, Panic, and Macaria.

Those moments of peace had only each been about 10 seconds long, and now he was back to routine, back to work, back to _paper_work.

"I love it," he said cynically aloud, "Everyone, everyday, they all say to me, 'oh, Hades, you're so _lucky_, you get this whole kingdom to yourself, you're stinking rich, boy, do you have the life,' n' they forget to mention the tiny fact that it's dark, dank, dreary, dismal, and every freaking day I am _stuck_ in _paperwork_."

He fumed silently for about 3 seconds, then snarled aloud. "And whose brilliant idea was it to include paperwork with every soul that comes in, huh? Who the hell cares? Why the hell is that nessecary?"

"To keep track of them, sir," said Pain.

"Who _cares_?" he exploded, "I sure as hell don't!"

The two imps squeaked and cringed, arms over their heads in a futile effort to protect themselves. It didn't work. They both became part of the wall as Hades zapped them furiously.

"A-am I interrupting?" said Ianthe rather nervously, standing in the doorway holding a scroll.

"Not at all," Hades' personality switched almost instantly as she made herself known. He flashed her a fanged smile that looked...almost reptilian.

"You can come on in, dollface," he said absentmindedly, the feather pen in his hand going up in flames.

Ianthe obeyed, and scurried in as Pain and Panic attempted to peel themselves off the wall.

"From Persephone," she said, placing the scroll on his desk, and then scrambling back.

Hades unrolled it, and another smaller scroll fell out before he could see what was on the main one.

He unrolled and read the small scroll first.

_Unlike some people, I know the names of my workers._

_Drawn by Okyrhoe, because as you know, I have no artistic ability either._

_Happy 15th day mark._

Hades rolled his eyes at the scroll then unrolled the other, his eyes widening and then he smirked.

Just like the picture he had made that...monster guy draw, this one was a charcoal drawing of _him_. In his charcoal hand, a charcoal flame hovered, and if you looked very carefully, you could see the words '15 days' etched in the flame.

"She copied me," he complained lightly, still smirking, and he set the scrolls down by his flower and his first scroll.

Now what to give her back tomorrow?

Definitely a note telling her not to copy him anymore. He smirked teasingly at an invisible Persephone at the thought.

"Can I go?" questioned Ianthe.

"Yeah, get outta here. Tell Seph I said not to copy me," he smirked again.

Ianthe allowed herself a giggle, then turned obediently and ran out the door.


	7. 14

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**14**

"How did you find the time to do this? I thought you were 'buried in paperwork.'"

"I am. I _make_ time."

"What the hell does _that_ mean?"

"Whatever, forget that. You just...scurry off and give this to mommy okay?"

"I hate you."

* * *

"Well, mother, the days are ticking by," said Persephone. Her violet eyes were fixed on Demeter who was dusting off...dust in the corners of the ceiling.

"Don't remind me," Demeter said, her voice flat. She didn't turn.

"I mean...it was only...a few days ago that it was 20 days to go, and now look!" She waved her hand excitedly. "Only 14 days."

"I said, don't remind me."

"Well, I'm just saying."

"Well, _don't_."

"Am I interrupting an epic battle between you and Demeter? I'm sorry, I'll step out." Macaria smirked as she appeared in the cottage. Demeter turned finally, scowled sarcastically at Maci, and then vanished.

"I take it she doesn't like me that much." Macaria glared at the spot where Demeter had been.

"It's not that she doesn't like you, she just doesn't like Hades."

"And that includes his 'spawn?'"

"Macaria."

"I'm quoting her."

"_Macaria_."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Alright, here..." She held out her fist and opened it.

In the center on her palm was a golf ball sized gem. Inscribed on it's surface was a big 14.

Persephone grinned and picked it up, turning it over and then over again in her hands. "What is it?"

"Sapphire? I think?" said Macaria, tilting her head and stare at the jewel. She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and folded her arms. "It's unbelievable. He can afford to make _this_ thing, but he can't bear to spare a few drachmas for my services. I'm not doing this willingly, ya know. It's the least he can do."

"I'll tell him to tomorrow," said Persephone dryly, "I'll send a note."

Maci's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah...he told me to give _this_ to you, too." She handed her a scroll.

Persephone unrolled it curiously, blinked, then smirked at it.

_Don't copy me, Seph._

"Jerk," she said, but she was grinning.

"Hey, I told ya, didn't I?" Maci grinned herself. "Be more original tomorrow."

"I'll sure try," Persephone said sarcastically.

"Excellent." Maci gave her a sarcastic thumbs up right back, then turned to walk out the door. She turned back suddenly."And don't forget to tell him to pay me." And then she went POOF.

Persephone smirked at her jewel and her scroll, and then picked up the duster and resumed Demeter's abandoned work.


	8. 13

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**13**

"Please, remember to take this to him? I have to leave for the temple in a few minutes."

"The temple?"

"Demeter's making me go. She says I have to tie off loose ends before I go. I'll be there tommorow, too. Tell Hades that, okay?"

"Okay. Sure."

"Thanks, Ianthe."

* * *

"Wow. No paperwork. Shocker," said Macaria, looking down at her father, who was seated with a scowl at his desk.

"I'm on break today," was his sarcastic reply, "Now get the hell off my desk."

She made a face at him and slid off the surface of the desk, purposely knocking over a stack of papyrus as she went. Macaria smirked. "Whoops! My bad."

Hades got up from his chair and practically snarled at her, flaring orange. She only flared right back.

"Um..." said Ianthe, nervously. She was a nymph, after all. Flowers and plants burned in fire.

The two pyromaniacal gods extinguished silmultanously and whirled around to face her.

"Ciao," said Macaria.

"Hi," said Ianthe.

Hades glared at Maci, glided past her, and went to the purple nymph, holding his open palm in front of her. "So do you have something for me?"

"Give him the scroll first," said Macaria from behind him.

Ianthe blinked and obeyed.

Hades unrolled it immediantly.

_Copying would be sending you a scroll of me, which I didn't do. I was simply...improving._

_And pay your daughter, cheapskate. You're the god of wealth. You have no excuse._

Macaria, reading over Hades' shoulder, snickered.

Hades read it, snickered practically internally, and then sent a scowl flying in Maci's direction.

"I'm not paying you," he sneered, "You don't deserve it...what am I payin' ya for, throwing scrolls off my desk?" He gestured towards the mess of papyrus scattered on the floor.

Maci scowled. "That was an accident."

A drachma, gold and shiny, appeared in his palm, and he looked at it for a second, before throwing it-hard-into the wall. "That was an accident, too," he said sarcastically, and then, ignoring Maci's murderous glare, turned back to Ianthe.

"Okay, purple girl. What else did she get for me?"

Ianthe opened her closed hand and dropped something hard and sparkly and shiny in his palm.

Hades gaped.

She had copied him again.

Macaria smirked, very much amused by this. In his palm was a golfball sized _green_ gem, with a big 13 on it's surface.

"Where...how did she even get ahold of this?" Hades spoke, mostly to himself, an amused grin on his face.

"And I told her not to copy me," he mock-frowned, then returned to his desk, setting the rock gently next to his scrolls and such. As an afterthought, he bent, pushed the scrolls on the floor into a pile, returned it to his desk, and then set the rock on top of it.

"Makes a hell of a paperweight," he remarked and Macaria rolled her eyes. Ianthe, shaking her head to herself at their behavior, turned and left.


	9. 12

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**13**

"Okay, seriously, dad? I'm not doing anything unless you pay me."

"..._gods_, are you annoying. _Fine_. What do you want?"

"Three drachmas."

"How 'bout two and you don't have to work for a week after Seph comes back."

"Fine."

"Wonderful."

* * *

"Okay, mom? There is nothing for me to be doing here. Can I just leave already?"

Demeter glared at her daughter. "I told you, loose ends have to be tied, so we're going to have to be here for the next few days."

"There are no _ends_ to _tie_, can I _leave_?" Persephone finally took her chin out of her hand and sat up, her arms crossed indignantly.

"It's your duty as a goddess to-"

"Oh, _come on_," Persephone sneered, rolling her eyes and sinking back into a slouch.

Demeter looked on, shaking her head. "He's such an influence on you," she scowled, and Persephone froze in place. Then she whipped around to glare at Demeter, leaning far over the edge of her throne in her temple in order to grasp her mother tighly by the arm.

"Everybody thinks that, oh, fall is coming, poor Persephone, gets shoved back down into her hellhole that was forced on her, stuck with that _monster_ Hades for half the year, the poor little girl," she hissed furiously, "No, but, they've got it reversed, the only hellhole is _here_ on _Earth_ and the only monster I'm stuck for half the year with is _you._" Demeter blinked and Persephone glared, letting go of her with a push. She stood up and stormed to the door.

"Persephone, get back here," Demeter ordered evenly.

"No. There's nothing for me to do here, I'm bored, I don't like being near you for long periods of time, and Macaria's probably waiting for me at my house." She wiggled her fingers in a goodbye and then poofed away, her voice ringing out from the spot where she had just been, "Au revoir!"

* * *

Arriving in a span of three seconds at her little cottage, Persephone wasn't surprised to see Macaria perched on her bed when she opened the door.

"So where were you?" the teenage goddess asked, sliding upwards to move to a more upright position rather then the sprawled one she had been in.

"Demeter made me go to my temple," Persephone sighed, the bitterness leaking out from her words, "I was stuck there yesterday, too. It's just hellish, trust me."

Macaria shrugged. "I'll take your word for it."

"You're so lucky you don't have a temple. I share one with my mother, but _still_..."

"No-one wants to worship the princess of the Underworld unless they're a creepy goth," Macaria snickered.

Persephone raised an eyebrow, leaning against her dresser. "Is it just me or are you a lot more mellow? I mean...where's the attitude?"

Maci smirked triumphantly. "Oh, he paid me, finally." Two drachmas appeared in her palm and she showed them to Persephone. "See? And I don't have to do my 'goddess of a blessed afterlife' duties for a week after you come."

She was silent. "He's a cheapskate," Persephone said flatly.

"I know, but it's better then nothing, right?"

"Right. Now...speaking of nothing..." She spread her hands and flashed her empty palms to Macaria, who made the connection and held out her other closed hand.

"Okay, cup your hands together," she instructed, and Persephone did as she was told.

Into her hand spilled a number of different colored tiny jewels.

"Ooh," said Persephone, her eyes wide.

Macaria studied her fingernails. "He said to count them."

She spilled them onto the dresser and counted swiftly.

12.

There were 12.

She smirked.

"Oh, and, this is for you, too," Macaria remembered suddenly, handing her a (slightly) charred scroll.

Persephone opened it, her fingers playing with a little blue gem as she read.

_I told you not to copy me, didn't I? What, don't you listen to instructions?_

_Sorry 'bout the burned parts. Incident with Pain and Panic. See, nothing changes after you leave. It's a real pleasure._

_Happy 12th day mark._

Persephone giggled, already knowing what to give him tomorrow. Macaria rolled her eyes and poofed away...


	10. 11

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**11**

"...Persephone...isn't this...the same thing that he gave you yesterd-"

"Of _course_ not. Now go give this to him."

"...right. Okay."

"And remember to give him the scroll, too."

"Okey dokey."

* * *

"If yesterday you couldn't go on my desk, then what makes you think that today you _can_?"

Macaria gave him a look. "I'm not stupid. I know I'm not supposed to."

Hades glared at her, and stood up. He was, even when she was on the desk, taller then her. "Then _why the hell are you on it?_"

She smirked impishly. "I like annoying you."

Hades flared up.

Macaria rolled her eyes and slid off the side of his desk, folding her arms when she hit floor.

"Brat," Hades muttered, shoving papers into a pile that had been disturbed by Macaria.

"That's very nice of you," she said sarcastically, moving to lean against the wall.

"Whatever."

She was silent for a moment (something rare for _both_ of them) and then she spoke, casually, "So. Am I eligible for a raise yet?"

Teenagers.

"Oh, _please_," hades sneered, turning in his desk chair and setting his pen down, "Give me a _break._"

Macaria flared and scowled. "And why not?"

Hades glared at her, raising an eyebrow. "If I enlighten you, it'd take all day."

"Oh, come _on_..."

He smirked dryly at her. "Tough luck, huh?"

Macaria fumed. "Shut _up_." She stormed out of the room, pushing past an oncoming nymph.

"Ciao, purple girl," Hades said, folding his hands.

One of Ianthe's hands was in a fist, and she walked into the room without hesitation, a leap from the days before... "Here. Be ready to catch them if they fall."

Hades raised an eyebrow. Ianthe opened her hand and spilled out the contents on his desk.

Hades stared, then narrowed his eyes and smirked teasingly to himself.

"So, lemme get this straight. I tell her not to copy me. _Twice_. I send her 12 lil' gems as a present...she sends me 11 little gems back...and not only that...it's the _exact same gems_ with one missing. Is that right?"

He moved a pair of green gems around absentmindedly with his finger.

Ianthe hid a smile, then handed him the scroll.

_Copying, me?_

_Never._

_Happy 11th day mark._

"Oh, she's hilarious," he said dryly, smirking to himself despite his words.

"She'd better not copy me tommorow," he mused after a second, then turned to the nymph. "Purple girl. You can shoo now. Toodles."

Ianthe grinned, nodded, and turned and left.


	11. 10

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**10**

"Da_ad,_ this is friggin' _heavy_."

"Deal with it."

"I want a raise."

"Hah. No."

"Four drachmas."

"Three."

"Do I get your blessing to go out with whoever I want?"

"Hell no. Don't push it."

"Ugh. Fine."

* * *

"Persephone, where are you going?" Demeter cocked her head and folded her arms, an eyebrow arched as she spoke.

Persephone rolled her eyes, ripped off her stupid pink flower petal headdress, and turned. She pointed towards the backdoor of her cottage. "The garden," she said.

"Persephone."

"_My_ garden."

Demeter hesitated, then nodded. "Okay, fine."

"You approve?" Seph said sarcastically.

Demeter glared at her.

She rolled her eyes again and went out back.

* * *

Demeter's garden was like a giant greenhouse. Persephone's garden was like a giant rainforest.

Her power was mostly over flowers, so her entire garden was covered in color, every species of flower there was, every pigment imaginable. It was hot in this area, tropical temperatures, which most of the flowers there could deal with. There were certain areas that were reserved for certain flowers that needed different temperatures (she had arctic blossoms in the back).

There _was_ heat, for the most part, though, and anyone else would have started to sweat buckets after about 20 or 25 mintues. Persephone was used to the heat, not just in here, but in general, seeing as she had been married to Hades for centuries.

She stode through her garden, doing her best not to step on the flowers that were everywhere, even though they moved all out of the way for her.

She stopped and leaned against a pair of apple trees that were in full bloom.

Two vines slid out of the gorund and hung themselves from the branches of the tree. A big leaf formed between the two and they gestured for her to come sit on the new swing.

Persephone giggled.

She sat and took ahold of the two vines like the chains of a swing, and pushed off with her feet and then she was in the air, the wind that was conjured by her soaring through the sky blowing her hair back. She giggled again and closed her eyes. It was like she was flying.

"That's very juvenile, mom," Macaria said.

The vines and Persephone stopped, the heels of her sandals digging into the ground to slow herself.

"I'm allowed to be juvenile," Persephone said simply, opening her violet eyes. She raised an eyebrow. In her daughter's arms was a huge pile of fabric.

"You're my _mother_," Macaria said.

"I'm only four years older then you."

Macaria rolled her eyes, muttered, "Which is insanely weird," and then stepped fowards. She dumped the pile of fabric into Persephone's arms.

Several vines slid out of the ground to help her unroll it. Persephone gasped when it was all unrolled.

"Wow," she exclaimed, her face lighting up. The fabric was a tapestry. Of herself. The border consisted of dozens and dozens of 10s.

"This is for you, too," said Macaria, handing her a scroll. Persephone let her vines take the tapestry and she accepted the scroll and opened it.

_Okay...was I not clear when I said not to copy me? Come on, Seph. Originality is key!_

_The tapestry, by the way, was made by the Fates. Let's see you try to copy this._

_Happy 10th!_

"I can find a way to copy it, I bet," Persephone smirked to herself.

"Please do so, it's fun to see him get all annoyed."

Persephone couldn't disagree.

"Now, I should really go before your mom catches me and gets pissed," said Maci.

Persephone sighed, and nodded. Maci disappeared.

"I wonder which one of my nymphs knows how to weave," said Persephone aloud, thoughtfully.


	12. 9

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe, Hyale and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**9**

"Ianthe, you won't be able to carry this thing by yourself to the Underworld."

"I...can try."

"My daughter was barely able to carry this thing yesterday, and not only is she older and stronger then you, she's a goddess."

"...Okay."

"Hyale, go with her, please?"

"Sure."

* * *

"Don't you have paperwork to do?" Macaria asked Hades, watching him in a bored way as he stormed around the throneroom, muttering.

He stopped, turned, and flared up at her. "I'm taking a break," he snapped, and he turned back around, not catching her eyeroll.

"Boss!"

Hades turned back around with an exaggerated annoyed sigh. Macaria tilted her head.

Panic ran into the room, a second before Pain tumbled in after him, and the two struggled to catch their breath.

"Th...there's...there's _two_ of them now!" Pain gasped, and Panic wheezed, "They're on their way, and they're holding fabric-"

"She _didn't,_" Hades said, his eyes widening. At the same time, Macaria said flatly, "Two of _what_?"

"Nymphs!" said Panic.

Macaria wrinkled up her nose and made a face. "Ew."

Before Hades could respond, said nymphs entered the room. One was the same girl who had been showing up for the past week, the purple girl, and then the other one was...different. She was all...clear and tranparent and shiny, like she was made of crystal. Her skin was a shimmery white, her hair looked like if she pulled it, it would crack and shatter, her eyes were a similar shiny white and her dress looked like it was made of frosted glass.

Ianthe gestured towards her companion, who was staring at Hades with wide, frightened eyes. "This is Hyale," Ianthe said, and Hyale blinked and shrunk back.

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Okay...now we have Purple Girl and Crystal Girl. Weird."

"Mom sure has some strange looking employees," muttered Macaria.

The pair moved so that each one was holding an end of the fabric. They walked in different directions so that the fabric - another tapestry - unrolled.

Hades narrowed his eyes and folded his arms.

It was the exact same thing he had given her yesterday, only HE was the figure woven in it, and the border was made of 9s.

Hyale stepped hesitantly up to Hades and handed him a scroll. Her very tip of her finger brushed up against his wrist and she darted away and hid behind Ianthe, quietly freaking out.

Macaria snickered as Hades covered his face with his hand and rolled his eyes.

After Ianthe managed to calm Hyale down, Hades decided to ignore the pair of nymphs and he unrolled the scroll and read it.

_Turns out none of my nymphs know how to weave, but Athena does._

_Yes, that's right. I paid Athena for this._

_It's amazing what measures I'll go to to copy you, huh?_

_Happy 9th!_

Hades stared.

Macaria giggled, and clutched to the armrest of his throne for some kind of support as she laughed.

"Yeah, it's hilarious. I know," Hades said sarcastically, and set the scroll down.

There had to be SOMETHING she couldn't copy. Sheesh.


	13. 8

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe, Hyale and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**8**

"Losing our touch, are we?"

"Did I ask for your comment? No, I did not. Now scurry along."

"Ugh."

* * *

She was done packing, her suitcases were lined up neatly by the door, and now Persephone reclined lazily on her woven couch (which, upon closer inspection would appear to be made out of strands of wheat; it was) picking at an open pomegranate. Demeter forced her to wear pastels during the spring and summer, but since the summer was nearing to a close, she reverted to her usual black chiton.

She wore it anyway, behind Demeter's back.

It was a good thing her chiton was black at the moment, because otherwise she'd be covered in red/pink/magenta stains from the pomegranate in her lap. They were messy, and Seph wasn't exactly eating in the neatest way possible. She was picking at it with her fingernails.

She sighed, and, with her elbow, pushed her hair out of her eyes and then stared out the window.

The remaining 8 days couldn't go fast enough. Whether Demeter liked it or not, Persephone'll be back in the Underworld THE SECOND it was the first day of fall. Who cared if techinally the first DAY of fall was on the 22? The sooner she could go back HOME, the better.

"Gimme one."

Seph blinked and returned her attention to inside her house. Macaria looked down at her.

"One what?" said Persephone.

"Pomegranate seed."

A smirk flitted across Persephone's face. She had taught her well. A child of Persephone should naturally have an extreme obsession with pomegranates, like the goddess herself did.

She had pomegranate _soap_ in her bathroom, for Zeus' sake.

Persephone pulled a tiny red seed out and flicked it to Macaria, who caught in and popped in her mouth without hesistation. Maci wiped her slightly juice-stained hand on her black dress and practically threw a scroll at Persephone.

Persephone scooted out of the way and the scroll landed in the space next to her. Her hands were covered in pomegranate juice. She nodded to the scroll then looked expecantly at Macaria, plucking a few seeds and throwing them on her tongue as she did so.

She sucked the fruit off and placed the seeds themselves in a cup, which was nearly filled to the brim. You couldn't have enough pomegranate trees, and since she could make them grow quite easily (despite the fact that they had been in her mouth), she could (would) plant them in her Underworldian garden when she got home.

"Unroll that for me, please?" Persephone asked, then added as an explanation, "My hands are sticky."

Macaria gave her a blank look.

"I gave you a seed," said Persephone, raising an eyebrow.

Maci rolled her eyes, allowed herself a grin, and unrolled it, holding it open in front of Persephone. Persephone leaned fowards, read it, then narrowed her eyes slightly, the corner of her mouth turning upwards slightly in a tiny, diobolical looking smirk.

_Now look what you've gone and done. You copied me so much, I lost my creative-ness._

_Way to go, **Sephy. **_

_Happy 8th._

Macaria watched her carefully, then sighed.

"What?" said Persephone curiously, noting her expression.

"I figured you'd have more of a reaction. I mean, he called you Se-" She cut herself off, resisting the urge to clap a hand over her mouth. As a child, it had been repeatedly drilled into her head that while she didn't care whether Maci called her 'mother' or 'mom' or 'mommy' or even 'Persephone' or 'Seph,' it was _never_ okay to call her 'Sephy.'

"Um," said Macaria, "Um, he called you...that name. Y'know." She shrugged to punctuate her point. Personally, Maci couldn't see why Persephone got so upset whenever someone called her that - such an overreaction, honestly, she'd start _screaming_ sometimes- but whatever. _Us Greeks are insane like that, I suppose._

Persephone's sudden smile became fixed. "Oh, trust me, I'm not letting this go." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Not my thing to do so."

Macaria smirked. "Yell at him when I'm there. I wanna see." She crossed her arms.

"Can I have another pomegranate seed?" she asked.

Persephone pulled out a chunk, and handed it to her. The juice splattered on Macaria's pink hand.

Maci mock-curtesyed, grinning. "Thank you," she said lightly, then disappeared.


	14. 7

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe, Hyale and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**7**

"That's very pretty, Seph."

"Thank you, Ianthe. And thank _you_, Hyale, for helping me make this."

"Y'welcome, Seph."

* * *

Ianthe walked calmly through the dark corridors of the Underworld, clutching the pretty little sculpture that Persephone had made. Persephone and Hyale, actually. Seph had asked Hyale to take it to Hades, since after all it had been her who was in charge of making it, but Hyale had quickly declined.

The white and shimmery nymph was obviously scared of Hades, like all nymphs were. Persephone had pointed out to them all that Hades wouldn't dare burn a flower out of respect (and terror) for her, but Hyale was different. She was the embodiment of crystal, like Ianthe herself was the embodiment of violet(s), and, as Hyale had told Ianthe firmly the day before, "...fire _melts_ crystal, okay, and I will _not_ be melted."

She entered Hades' office where he was again and became aware that in the silence something was...buzzing.

Something_s_, actually.

* * *

"Mom's pissed," Macaria stated, trying rather obviously to stir up trouble. Hades, who was used to it, didn't even look up.

"And why would that be?" Hades asked suddenly, his voice sarcastic, "What did ya do to her this time?"

"Me?" said Macaria, gesturing towards herself mockingly. She laughed, then her voice became sarcastically serious. "Was I the one that called her Sephy? Uh, don't think so."

Hades blinked, then rolled his yellow eyes. "I'm sure she's just writhing in anger," he drawled, a long finger tapping on the desk.

"She'll do something," pressed Maci, "She doesn't let things like that slide."

Hades wrote an 'alpha' on the papyrus and then followed it with a 'delta' then set the feather pen down and stared blankly at Macaria.

"Don't look at me," she sneered, studying her fingernails.

Hades narrowed his eyes, then replied, "I won't, but I'll be sure that at least half of Persephone's 'upcoming anger' is directed toward, you, mkay?"

"Thanks a ton, and good luck with that."

Ianthe entered the room with a little violet smile.

Hades' face twitched into a smirk. "Ooh," he said, "Now what is _that_?" His smirk grew, "Enlighten me, Purple Girl."

"It's for you," said Ianthe simply, and she set the crystal thing on his desk. It was very pretty, shards of eyecatching, rainbow crystal twisted around each other. Though the crystal was opaque, one could tell that it was somewhat hollow.

In the swirls of the structure two words could be found and those words were '7 Days'.

Hades picked it up and examined it, his smirk still in place. It really was pretty, and even Macaria seemed mystified by it.

Then the thing fell apart.

Ianthe looked confused, and so did Hades and Maci, but only for a moment.

It was hollow, but not empty. No, inside there was a tiny little scroll and...

...7 bees.

Hades immediately stood up and backed against the wall, somewhat alarmed as the 7 insects lazily flew around the room. Macaria vanished in a poof.

"Oh, the last thing I need is to get stung by a bee," Hades muttered, his hair flashing red as he swatted at a yellow and black creature that had flown by his ear. Another one came closer to him and settled comfortably on his arm, seconds away from sticking him with a stinger. Hades shook it off and backed up more.

Ianthe, confused as she was, didn't flinch as the bees swarmed around her and Hades. Bees wouldn't harm a flower, and that was what she was. A bee landed on her shoulder and actually attempted to pollinate her before Ianthe lightly blew it off.

Hades was swatting away the remaining six. The seventh joined them and they all became focused on circling around him.

"She sent be _bees_," Hades protested in a whiny wail, "Why the hell would she do that?" He vanished and reappeared by his desk and grabbed the scroll. The bees flew after him.

_No-one calls me Sephy. Enjoy your bees._

_Love Seph._

Hades stared for a second, before realized that there were still bees floating around him and he resumed swatting them away. He didn't want a bee sting to worry about, no, not at all...

Was that Macaria snickering just outside the door?

Ianthe tilted her head, unsure of what to say, and then curtesyed, spoke politely, "Enjoy your bees," turned and left.

A now flaming yellow and black insect went flying across the room.

Hades stopped swatting for a moment and wondered if his evil-ness was rubbing off on Persephone.


	15. 6

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe, Hyale and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**6**

"_What_ is _that_?...um...forget it, I don't wanna know."

"Give it to Seph, okay? Ya don't need to know."

"I said I didn't want to."

"Pfft."

* * *

_6 days 6 days 6 days 6 days 6 days 6 days 6 days..._

The voice in her head woke her up. Seriously. It was all the alarm clock she needed.

_6 days 6 days 6 days 6 days_

"I know," Persephone mumbled into her pillow.

_6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6_

"I _got_ it," she said, louder, and sat up. The voice in her head shut up. Persephone smiled, her eyes still closed.

6 days.

Less then a week.

Gods, the days were flying by.

She had slept through the morning and it was now 12:00 pm. 12:01, if you wanted to be exact.

Persephone drew her knees to her chest and glowed, literally glowed. Gods and goddesses could turn their auras on and off like a light switch (not that there was a giant switch in her back or anything) but that took effort and energy. During night, when asleep, all divinities relaxed and let loose their auras...it was always brightest in the night and then in the morning. Persephone's pink glow lit up almost the entire room.

A corner of her mouth quirked up in a smile. Hades had no aura ("Birth defect," he had told her flatly and then the subject had been dropped) and so during the nights when she was there his entire bedroom glowed pink.

Funny, really.

"Gods, you sleep late," said Macaria, entering Persephone's room without knocking or a care in the world. She seemed happier and impressed. Persephone guessed it wasn't because she had slept late.

Seph shrugged. "Only today," she said, then grinned crookedly, "I was up late thinking about me being diabolical. Did Hades like my bees?"

Macaria beamed. This was obviously the topic in which she had been so impressed with. "I was dying in the other room listening to him," she snickered, fully aware that that was a pun, "Mom, you're a freaking genius."

Persephone shrugged modestly, then said firmly, "Not even Hades is allowed to call me Sephy."

Maci grinned. "On the note of the bees, here's your daily pre-fall present." She held out a clear bag and a scroll. The bag held several blackened circular things.

Persephone squinted at them in confusion, noted that there were six, and then unrolled the scroll.

_I__ enjoyed my bees, thankyouverymuch._

_By the way, did you know bees smell funny when they're charred? I've provided a few examples in that bag. Enjoy your charred bees._

_Happy 6th day!_

Persephone made a face.

"Burnt bees?" she said aloud, setting the bag on a desk and not daring to open it and see what bees really smelt like when they were charred, "How...classy."

"Romance at it's finest," chimed Macaria, who was staring at the bag with a similar expression of distaste.

"Mm," said Persephone, nodding. She grinned wryly, then stood up.

"Tell hades to expect another insect tommorow," she told Macaria. Her tone held no clue as to whether or not she was kidding, "And I won't say if it stings or not."

Maci saluted, and vanished moments after she chirped a quick, "Got it."

Seph shook her head after she had gone.

Burnt bees.

Really.

Oy.


	16. 5

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**5**

"Be careful now. Don't let it fly away."

"I won't."

"And please don't kill it by accident!"

"Oh, I won't! I'd never do such a thing."

"Great."

* * *

Persephone's Underworldian garden was three things:

-Creepy  
-Beautiful  
-And friggin' _big_.

It was filled with pomegranate trees (thousands!) and every type of flower. All the flowers were dark colored.

They all died when Persephone wasn't here, and that made the garden even creepier. Hades stood at it's gates with a flat expression, staring.

As soon as Persephone was in the Underworld, her garden sensed her presence and came to live. Anyone watching would be shocked, because, it was, after all, shocking to watch.

A skeleton cat walked in between the withering black blooms.

"'Scuse me!" said Ianthe, suddenly behind him and staring with wide eyes at the garden.

"Did Persephone make those?" Ianthe said curiously.

Hades glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow, scowled at the dead cat which was lying down under a dying pomegranate tree, and nodded.

"Those aren't anything like the ones she makes on Earth," said Ianthe.

"It's all different in the Underworld." He shrugged. "Her powers go all screwy."

Ianthe tilted her head. She had never heard of one's powers being affected by one's realm before, but the Underworld was strange...maybe things were VERY different in the Underworld.

"So," said Hades, smirking slightly and changing the subject which was for some reason awkward, "What'd she get for me today? Wasps?"

"No," said Ianthe brightly, "A butterfly."

Hades looked confused.

"A _what_?"

"A butterfly!" repeated Ianthe, and she opened her cupped hands. The black butterfly crawled over her violet hands for a moment before it flapped it's wings and hovered upwards. It circled Hades a few times and he read, in the design on it's wings, '5 days' before it flapped quickly away.

It landed on a flower and rested. The cat looked up and tried to pounce on it.

Hades blinked.

"What's a cat doin' here anyway?" Hades muttered, watching the butterfly freak out and the cat pounce several more times.

Ianthe shrugged.

Hades shook his head and rolled his eyes as the butterfly fluttered past his ear and the cat followed it on the ground.


	17. 4

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**4**

"AND JUST WHAT IS MOM GONNA DO WITH THIS THING?"

"I dunno...store it in a closet, under her bed, in the garden, sic it on Demeter."

"Dad, this is ridicul-IT'S SCRATCHING ME!"

"Crumple it into a ball or something. It's dead, it won't hurt it."

"Agh."

* * *

"You look so happy," said Demeter in a dejected tone of voice, her chin(s) in her hand as she watched Persephone twirl around the room and slam shut suitcases.

"Well, that's because I am," said Persephone. She stopped twirling and stood by a stool that was up against the wall, "Only 4 days until I can come home, you know."

Demeter narrowed her eyes. "I know. Don't remind me."

Persephone shrugged. Demeter rose from her chair and walked absentmindedly around the room, like she was examining all of Persephone's things.

There was a pile of...stuff on the table. Demeter picked an item at random from the pile and looked at it. It was a clear bag with several burnt ovals in it.

"Sephy, what's this?"

Persephone placed her hands on her hips and glared. Demeter cleared her throat and corrected herself.

"Persephone. What's this?"

The goddess of spring appeared next to her mother and peered at the thing in her hands. "Oh. Bees."

"_Bees_?"

"Burnt bees," said Persephone, taking the bag from her and placing it back on the pile of scrolls and such.

Demeter looked horrified. She wrinkled her nose in an expression of disgust. "And where," she said, "did you ever manage to get ahold of burnt bees?"

"Hades," explained Persephone simply, collapsing onto her couch and draping an arm lazily over one armrest.

Demeter made another face. "Oh, that figures."

Persephone opened her mouth to retort but then whipped her head around to stare at the door. Because there was something scratching at the other side of the door.

She stood up, and she crossed the room, and she then opened it to see what the commotion was about. Something that was white and thin shot past her and Macaria practically fell into the room, her arms covered in lines by the triple, like something had been clawing at her.

"Gah," gasped Macaria, and she stumbled further into the cottage and sunk face first onto the couch.

"Yeesh," said Persephone, alarmed, "What happened?"

"Your present happened," Macaria spat, her voice muffled from the fact that her face was buried in the couch. She, without looking up, jabbed a finger in the direction of Persephone's bedroom. "It went that way."

Demeter rolled her eyes and disappeared as Persephone walked into her room. Her eyebrows shot up in alarm when she saw the white skinny thing again, only now it was much clearer to see what it was.

"He gave me a dead cat?" Persephone said skeptically, a hand running absentmindedly through her hair as she watched the skeleton cat claw at the foot of her bed.

"Yup," called Macaria from the other room, sarcastic "It's wonderful. It's dead, but it scratches and bites like it's alive."

"It's probably just scared," said Persephone.

"It's DEAD!" protested Macaria.

"So?" She approached the cat, which jumped away from her and hissed.

"There's a note in it's collar, good luck tryin' to get it out," said Maci.

The cat leapt onto the bed and Persephone pounced on it. The cat yowled and attempted to break free of her. Persephone ripped the note from it's collar and let it go; it hissed and yowled again, then retreated to a corner.

Persephone unrolled the scrap of papyrus and read it's contents.

_I found this thing wandering in your garden...it's kinda vicious, but, hey, what in the Underworld isn't? Do whatever you want with it...Maci suggested you feed it to Cerberus when you get home._

_Only 4 days left._

_Technically, it's only 3 days until the 21st...but thanks to someone-DEMETER-ya gotta wait until like nighttime on the 21st til you can come back, so I guess that counts as a day._

_Dunno why they call the 21st the equinox then, 'cuz it's really the 22nd...whatever._

"Loopholes," muttered Persephone. Stupid Demeter, she couldn't be satisfied with having Persephone for 6 months of the year, oh no, she had to attach extra time to her sentence, too...

The cat was hiding under her bed now and Persephone left it alone. She returned to Macaria, still lying on the couch. "Maci, don't you have to be going?" she questioned.

"I'm in pain here," Maci whined, but reluctantly stood up. She picked at a scratch on her forearm. "Stupid cat," she muttered, "Please get rid of it when you get home...I'm sure Cerbie'll love to play with it."

"Since when did you hate cats so much?"

"Since I nearly got mauled by one." Macaria glared, and then disappeared suddenly.

Persephone shook her head. The dead cat bolted out from her room and leapt onto the top of the couch, glowering with eyeless sockets at Persephone.

At least Hades was being creative.


	18. 3

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**3**

"Only three days, Persephone!"

"I know. Time's flying, innit?"

"I'm gonna miss you, Seph."

"Oh, please. It's only six months until I come back, and you'll be surprised how quickly it passes...it always passes quickly."

"I know, but...still."

"Don't worry 'bout it, Ianthe...now go bring this to Hades, okay?"

* * *

"The days are ticking by," said Macaria, ignoring the glare that she was recieving from Hades. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow after about 30 more seconds of silent glaring.

"Can I help you?" she said sarcastically.

"You're on my throne," he snapped, turning red and continuing to glare poisonously at her.

Maci studied her fingernails and smirked. She was, in fact, on his throne, and she damn well knew she wasn't supposed to be on it, but her throne was a piece of junk and, besides, it was fun bothering him. After a long pause, she said in fake skepticalness, "...so?"

"_So_ get the hell off before I roast you where you stand."

"Sit."

"Whatever."

She yawned and shot another fanged smirk at him. "You can't roast me, anyway. Not only am I a goddess, but..." Her entire arm engulfed itself in flame, "I'm fireproof. Inheritance, you know. Blame yourself for that."

Hades rolled his eyes and gave her another glare.

"I love this relationship we have," Hades said flatly, folding his arms.

"'Least _you_ didn't swallow me," replied Maci. She rolled her eyes, too, and {slowly} got off his throne. She vanished and reappeared lying on her stomach on his chessboard. Hades gave her a dirty look.

"You can't win with me." She snickered.

"I hate teenagers," Hades muttered, and went to claim his throne (he did). He glowered at the rest of his throne room and then rolled his eyes again and drummed his fingers on the side of his throne.

"I'm bored," he declared.

"Good for you!" said Macaria, sarcastically bright, and the sat up and slid off the chessboard. She leaned against the side of it with her arms folded, facing him.

"Hey, only three days left until mom comes back, and then you can harrass _her_ all day and then no more boredom. Works wonderfully."

Hades rolled his eyes for the fourth time.

"Actually," she spoke again, "I'm bored too. I'll see ya later, or something." She vanished with a curl of smoke, and for the _fifth_ time Hades rolled his eyes. He resumed drumming his fingers on the arm of his throne.

Where were the imps when he needed them? Gods, he could sure go for some imp-zapping right about now...

"Hello," said Ianthe, and she (with some difficulty) pushed the door open wider then it had been-it had only been open a crack and she couldn't have gotten through-and skipped into the throne room.

Hades became aware that his villainous image and rep was definitely slipping. He was sure none of the other big-shot villains would have ever let a lavender, flowery, nymph come _skipping_ into their realm. Then again, none of those big-shot villains were married with children.

"So," Hades sat up and clasped his hands together with a smirk, "What'd Seph get for me now? Skeleton dog? More bees?"

"Flowers," said Ianthe, skipping (_Again with the skipping, gods, have I gone downhill_, Hades thought). In her slightly violet tinted hand were three flowers. All were bright blue. Hades had a feeling that if one were to move them to his hair, they'd match perfectly, but since they would incinerate if one were to do that, one could never be sure.

"Didn't she already give me flowers?" said Hades, taking the three, and setting them on the arm of his throne.

Ianthe shrugged, and handed him a scroll from Persephone.

Ah, routine.

Hades unrolled it, one finger absentmindedly tracing the petals of the flowers.

_Sorry 'bout the repetition thing...I'm running out of ideas. Hey, I'm coming back in three days (!), do we really have to worry about creative presents now?_

_Happy third day mark! See ya soon!_**  
**

Hades smirked as Ianthe exited the room with a wave.

So now he knew that he wouldn't have to rack his brain for ideas tonight. Creativity no longer mattered. Good to know.


	19. 2

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**2**

"...Whoa."

"I'll assume that's a whoa in my favor."

"...Eh."

"...Right. Go take this to Persephone."

"I'll try. Forgive me if I topple over while attempting to carry it."

* * *

"Persephone, I'm gonna miss you!" wailed Demeter for the fourth time in the past 10 minutes.

"I know," said Seph flatly.

"Why do you have to leave so soon?" she sobbed, "Can't you stay for just one more day?"

She was so loud, Persephone was sure all of Olympus could hear her. At least she hadn't dragged her up to Olympus and made this a public display like she had last year. Oh, gods, had that been bad.

"I have no desire to stay any longer then I need to," said Persephone coldly, extending a hand and studying her fingernails, "Maybe if you let me stay with Hades for more then six months at a time, I'd be more open for hanging out a little bit longer."

She paused, and looked pointedly at Demeter. "But no."

Demeter buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Persephone rolled her eyes. She could have pointed out that Demeter "frowned upon" Persephone's parting reactions when she had to leave Hades, but Demeter herself was reacting worse right now then Persephone did. She didn't, however, point this out, but she _did_ sigh loudly and rise from her seat.

Persephone shot an apologetic glance over to Ianthe, who was seated on the other side of the room and was staring in a somewhat horrified way at Demeter.

Ianthe grimaced; Persephone motioned for her to follow her out of the room, and she did so. The two left Demeter wailing in Persephone's living room.

Persephone walked into her bedroom and sat crossed legged on her bed, playing with the hem of her dress.

Ianthe had never really gotten herself aquainted with Demeter. In fact, she never really hung around so much in Persephone's house either with her. So this whole 'Persephone's-leaving' ritual was new for her and she cast an awkward glance in Demeter's direction.

"Is she...okay?" Ianthe questioned tentatively.

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Yeah, unfortunately. Ugh, she's such a pain. And she's so dramatic. Just ignore her."

Ianthe winced and then said with a tiny smile, "No wonder you're always waiting to get back to the Underworld."

Persephone grinned back. "Well, it's more then just getting away from Demeter, although that plays a big part of it...my whole family's down there, y'know."

"But, isn't Olympus your family? And Demeter?"

"The family that cares about me, and that I care about, not these...other people who only care about themselves and spend days insulting us Underworldians."

Ianthe was silent. "...Oh."

There was a slight whoosh noise in the room and Macaria appeared. She stumbled as the sound of Demeter reached her ears.

"My gods," she gasped, "Someone either gag her or get me earplugs."

Persephone snickered lightly but then stopped as she noticed what Macaria was carrying.

"What," she said, stunned, "is that?"

Macaria set the thing in her arms on Persephone's bedroom desk. "I dunno. Some weird crystal sculpture present thing."

If you looked at it the right way, and Persephone was, it looked like a giant 2. But it was a complicated 2. Much like the thing that Persephone had given him a few days ago, only she was willing to be that not only did this not house bees, it wasn't hollow.

Cords of thick multicolored crystal wound around themselves, and it sparkled like crazy. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that there were tiny gems, dozens and hundreds of them, set in the crystal.

Ianthe caught her breath. "Wow. No wonder he's the god of wealth."

"Should be the god of heavy things," said Macaria bitterly, trying to work some feeling into her hands, which had...well, lost feeling after carrying that thingy.

"He outdid me," Persephone smirked, "So much for forgetting about creativity."

"It's only one day until you come back, he's not gonna give you some crappy little nothing for his finale," said Macaria.

Seph grinned. Demeter continued to sob in the next room.

"So," said Macaria, "I'll see you tommorow," she clapped her hands together and grinned brightly, "and _you_," she turned to Ianthe, "I'll see you next year."

She waved, glared at Demeter, and then vanished.

Persephone stood up and picked up the sculpture to figure out which suitcasde she could fit it in to.


	20. 1?

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**...1?**

Persephone had been packed since two days before and by the morning of the 21st all her bags had been practically already out the door.

Demeter had rushed her off to Mt. Olympus where the gods all bide her goodbye and then Demeter hurried her back down to her cottage. Persephone gathered her staff of nymphs in one of her fieleds and they had all said their teary farewells and melted into their trees and flowers and rivers for a fall hibernation. Persephone was then herded back to her cottage where she was subjected to Demeter's sobbing - although she wasn't paying attention and didn't notce the word 'tommorow' popping up frequently - for about an hour or so. When that was finally over with, Demeter poofed away to take care of some last minutes things and to shut down Persephone's half of her temple (because in the fall only Satanists came to her and Demeter wanted none of that on her premises) and then Persephone had lunch, alone, and enjoying the serenity. Her lunch was, of course, a pomegranate and a salad - the salad was quite colorful because there were certain types of edible flowers scattering in the bowl with the lettuce.

She spent the rest of the day fixing herself and her house up, and then the remaining time was spend wishing for the day to pass quicker. It was past 5:00 when Demeter finally returned and Persephone paused in her pacing and darted up to her mother, annoyed.

"It's about time," the goddess huffed, hands on her slender and black fabric clad hips, "Can we go now?"

Demeter grinned in a nervous way.

Persephone blinked. "...what?" she said hesitantly, suddenly nervous herself, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Demeter laughed now. Her laugh was, like her grin, nervous. "Um, Persephone. Dear. I may have...neglected to tell you-"

"Tell me what?" Persephone said through teeth that were suddenly clenched. Her voice was quiet in a deadly way.

Demeter laughed anxiously again and shifted her position. "Y-you can't go back until tommorow. At 5:18 pm, exactly."

If Persephone had been Hades, her cottage would have been nothing but a pile of smoldering ashes at that point. But she wasn't Hades and so instead of an explosion, Demeter was now subjected to Persephone's just as fiery temper.

_**"WHAT?"**_ Persephone shrieked.

"There's an odd number or days in the year, Sephy, sweetheart. The day of the equinox shifts."

"Don't call me Sephy!" she snapped, then turned away from Demeter to smack a hand to her forehead in furious expasperation.

"I have to ask," she said quietly, "Just how long to you think I can stay away from Hades?"

"Surely one more day won't hurt," said Demeter, smiling in a friendly way.

Persephone raised the volume of her voice to a scream. "ONE MORE DAY _DOES_ MATTER! I'VE BEEN WAITING _SIX MONTHS_ TO GO HOME!"

"It's not my fault!" said Demeter shrilly, "Blame Zeus. He should have made the number of the days in the year even instead of odd."

Persephone scowled, her violet eyes shooting daggers into her mother's seemingly innocent blue ones. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. One could picture the storm cloud hovering over her head. It was zapping lightning at whoever dared to look at her funny.

* * *

"_IANTHE!_" bellowed Persephone in her field. A few nymphs poked out of their trees to see what the commotion was about.

Out of a pretty little cluster of violets Ianthe slid. Ianthe rubbed at her eyes, blinked, and stared up at Persephone. "Is it spring already? Gosh, does time fly."

"I need you to take something to Hades," Persephone's voice was pleading, "It's a last minute something, and it's important. Here..." She turned at her last word and ran back to her cottage. Ianthe followed her absentmindedly.

* * *

"Dad, you're gonna wear a hole in the floor," said Macaria, picking at one of her fingernails anxiously. She had no doubts that if he kept pacing that a hole would indeed appear in the floor, and she was pretty sure there was already the beginning of a rut in the path he had been walking.

Hades scowled at her and then resumed pacing. Pain and Panic in the corner tilted their heads silmultanously. Macaria continued to pick at her fingernails.

"Maybe Demeter finally snapped and murdered her," Macaria offered.

Hades nearly detonated. He whirled around and glared at her, orange. "Not funny," Hades growled.

Maci shrugged. She wasn't going to lie, she was getting nervous too. Persephone should have been here an hour ago, and Persephone wouldn't be late. No. Not for this. All three of them had been waiting for six months. She wouldn't dawdle.

Hades turned for another cycle.

That was when ianthe came running in through the door. She screeched to a stop breathlessly, thrust a scroll in Hades' bewildered and flaming hands (it blackened at the edges), gasped out, "I have to go back now. See you next year!" and dashed away.

Hades quickly unrolled the scroll and read it swiftly, Macaria leaning over his shoulder to see. Her handwriting was awful and scribbled like she had been rushing, but it was still legible.

_I know you must be in pieces wondering what the hell happened to me._

_Well, apparently since the days of the year are an odd number, the day of the equinox shifts. This year, it's on September 22, at exactly 5:18 pm._

_I was real thrilled when I found out, and I bet you are too, now. Feel free to destroy this scroll to burn off rage. I won't mind. Half of my house is in ruins as it is._

_This kind of throws off our countdown, too. One day left now._

_Half today, then half tomorrow, ya know? Roughly. Whatever._

_I'll see you tomorrow, I promise. If she won't take me, then I'll walk down there myself._

Hades fumed silently and Macaria backed up instincively. The scroll disintegrated in Hades' hands and he went to go sulk on his throne.

Stupid Demeter. Stupid odd days of the year.


	21. 0

**This**** Persephone, Ianthe and Macaria belong to me. Anyone who uses them without my permission gets trampled by a Titan.**

**Anyone/anything else belongs to Disney.**

20 Days

**0**

Persephone woke up slowly and sat up. She rubbed at her eyes with the heel of her hand.

She looked around her now bare bedroom and yawned. She had dragged a sheet out of one of her bags the previous night to sleep and and now she rose from her bed and balled the sheet into a, well, ball. She tucked it under her arm and went over to her suitcase; the sheet was stuffed inside and then was closed in.

"Persephone, are you awake?" Demeter's voice floating in through the other room.

"Can I go home today?" she answered with another question.

"Today, yes. But at 5:18."

"Then I'm awake." She drifted out into the other room, where Demeter was flitting around her house.

"Do you have locks for your doors and windows and drawers?" Demeter asked as she moved about.

Persephone shrugged. "I'll seal it magically. No-one's gonna try to steal anything anyway, there's nothing here."

"But still, you don't want strange people in your house when you're down there."

Persephone shrugged again. "I'll seal it, I said."

Demeter nodded in bright approval.

Persephone walked past her and yawned again, sinking back onto her couch and resting her chin lazily in her hands. "I'm still sleeping," she muttered dryly, "Wake me up when it's 5:18."

"Persephone." Demeter's voice cut into her drowsiness like a knife. Persephone blinked and sat grudgingly up.

"I'm up," said Persephone in a flat tone.

"Good girl," chirped Demeter, to which Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Gods, this day can't go soon enough," she sighed.

* * *

"Let's hope Demeter sticks to her word," Hades said with a slight flare up. Macaria shrugged.

"We've got hours to go until she comes home. We'll have to wait."

"I've _been_ waiting," Hades snapped, and he started to pace even though Seph wouldn't be back for hours, like Maci had just said.  


* * *

  
The day actually passed quickly, much to Persephone's (and Hades') suprise. Demeter had still some last minute things to take care of, and Persephone was forced to take care of them with her. When Demeter was gone dragging her places, Persephone returned to her house and went in the back to her rainforest-like garden. They would all die without her care during the fall and the winter, and Persephone placed them all in a hibernating sleep-mode. That way, they couldn't shrivel up and drop dead without the goddess of spring tending to 'em.

At 4:30, Persephone was in her house leaning against the wall by her door. A suitcase was in each of her hands and vines were clinging to the others.

Demeter arrived at 5. Persephone scowled dryly at her.

"So. Are you gonna tell me now that I have to wait 'til tomorrow to come home?"

Demeter gave her a look. "Unfortunately, no."

"Unfortunately."

"For me."

"Uh-huh."

Demeter folded her arms. "Are you ready to go?"

Persephone gave her a sarcastic look. "Nope. I'm just standing by the door with my suitcases because this is always what I do on Tuesdays. Of _course_ I'm ready, mom, what does it look like?"

Demeter ignored her sarcasm. "Fine. Give me a moment and we;ll go."

"A MOMENT?" Persephone practically screamed out of indignation, "_No_. Now."

"Sephy-"

"Don't call me _Sephy_, and we're leaving _now_. I'll go there myself if you won't 'escort me'."

"Alright!" Demeter snapped, "Gods. Come _on,_ Little Miss Impatient. Re_lax_."

Persephone stepped out of the way so she could pass and followed with a triumphant snicker.

* * *

"I would like to point out that you've been pacing in circles for hours and that that signifies that you're a pathetic person with absolutely nothing better to do with his life."

"Oh, shove off," snapped Hades, finally stopping his pacing, and blinking at the rut that had formed.

"Well, it's true," said Macaria. She smirked at him.

The two were standing at the bank of the Styx. Hades had, in fact, been pacing there since morning. Maci had only recently joined him.

The father/daughter bond was no longer existant with the two of them. Any contact made with each other was either violent or verbally abusive or both.

When Macaria had been younger, things had been different, but now that she was older and nearly exactly like him...

If opposites attracted, then two people who were virtual twins repelled, and Hades and Macaria did. Constantly.

"You're the Lord of the Underworld, you gotta have something to do besides pace," said Maci.

"I do, but I'm just not doin' it." Hades spoke as if the answer was painstakingly obvious.

"Well, I can see that," Maci snapped.

"Then why'd you ask?" he sneered back.

"Wasn't a question, genius."

"Whatever."

"That's your comeback? 'Whatever?'"

"What_ever_."

"Ooh, what_ever_. That's real different. You emphasized the 'ever', wow, lookit you, the Comeback Queen."

"'Scuse me. _Queen_? And _I'm_ the _genius_, _genius_."

"I did that on purpose, smart one."

"Keep telling yourself that. Can't hide from the truth, ya know."

"The _truth_?"

"That you're mentally retarded."

By now both of them were flaming orange.

"Ooh, gosh, you're calling me a retard now? How original. How fatherly," Macaria's voice was very sarcastic as she placed her hands on her hips and glared.

"What do you mean not original? Do other people call you that, too?" Hades smirked and snickered.

"I _mean_ that I'd expect something more colorful from you."

"There are other things I can call you, but I'd prefer not to waste my breath, it'd all go over your head."

"Jerk."

"Brat."

"Moron."

"Retard."

"Idiot."

"Bitch."

"Jackass."

"It goes both ways."

"THAT'S NOT EVEN A _NAME_!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Did I break the chain of insults?"

"You can't even in_sult_ me right!"

"You're just made because I beat you." He smirked. "Again."

"You did not! Saying something stupid isn't beating me!"

"Don't lie to yourself, Maci."

"_Lie_ to myself?"

"Brat."

"You _said_ that already!"

"And what, I'm not allowed to repeat myself all of a sudd-" Hades' words were suddenly cut off with a gasp as _something_ knocked him to the floor. Macaria extinguished herself and stepped back as Demeter, a little ways away from her, facepalmed.

"Honestly, Persephone," Demeter muttered, rolling her eyes.

Persephone, who was now on top of a somewhat startled Hades, twisted back to look at her mother and smirked.

"Excited, are we?" Hades said sarcastically.

"Shut up. I haven't seen you in six months and a day, what'd you think I'd do, slowly saunter in here?"

"I dunno. But tackling seems a bit much, don't you think?"

"Yes," said Macaria. Demeter rolled her eyes again.

Charon had taken Demeter and Seph across the river and was now silently watching this rather amusing exchange while leaning on his barge pole. Souls were crawling up onto the river bank to see what was happening.

"I think it says something about what kind of person you are when you're willing to do things to each other on a public river bank in front of your daughter," Macaria said in a casual way, leaning against a nonexistant wall. She shot a scowl at her parents who simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"Honestly," said Demeter, looking disgusting.

Hades shot glares at the two of them. "We haven't done anything yet."

"Gods," muttered Persephone huffily.

"_Yet_," Charon said under his breath.

"I do have some sort of dignity, you know," Hades sniffed.

"Barely," Macaria pointed out, and rolled her eyes.

"SO," said Demeter, anxiously changing the subject as Persephone (reluctantly) shifted off him and the pair stood up.

"So?" repeated both Hades and Persephone at the same time.

Charon swatted the spirits off of the side of the bank.

"_So_," Demeter continued, twirling a lock of her orange hair in her hand, "If you two...three..." She glanced at Macaria, then at Charon, "_...four_, don't need me, then I'll be going. Sephy-"

"Don't call me Sephy," Persephone growled, and Hades poked unhappily at a bee sting on his arm.

"Persephone," corrected Demeter in an irritated way, "I'll see you next spring." She trembled and blinked back tears as she spoke. All three Underworldians rolled their eyes. Charon had no eyes and thus couldn't roll them.

"Bye," said Persephone brightly, curled against Hades.

"I'll miss you," Demeter sniffed.

"And vice versa," said Persephone sarcastically, "Now. Bye."

"I'll see you in six months."

"Can't you take a hint?" snapped Hades, "GO. Begone. Shoo."

"I'm _going!_" Demeter scowled, put her hands on her hips, and spun around, stepping onto Charon's boat.

Charon too scowled, but for a different reason. With her on his boat, it'd probably capsize. Ugh. The last thing he needed was to get pawed at by souls.

They rowed away and Persephone let out a sigh of relief. If Hades hadn't been there, she would have fallen backwards; she instead collapsed back and was caught.

"It's about time she left," Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Shame. I was looking forwards to yelling at her for keeping you for another day. She left too fast."

Persephone smirked suddenly and she turned around to face him. "Now, anyway, we were saying, before she interjected..."

Macaria rolled her eyes. Again. They were a very eyerolling family.

"We were saying," Hades echoed flatly, "Doing. You mean doing." He was tackled again, and a purr could be heard resonating around the area.

Macaria took the opportunity and disappeared.

Everything was back to normal...

* * *

~Author's Notes~ The end. Welcome back in advance, Persephone!

If you read it, review it, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. There's an ugly zero right now in the 'review' area. I'd like it to go away. :)


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